Wayne’s Automotive Center Is Your Source For Differential Service
If you have been in the Reno and Sparks auto repair business for any length of time, you have to answer different questions about car systems. Many of these questions have a common theme that goes like this: “What is a differential and how does it function exactly?” Your Wayne’s Automotive Center technician may have told you that they recommend servicing the differential or you saw it as an option on the menu of services so let’s try and explain what it does first. We like to inform our customers at Wayne’s Automotive Center. Differential service at Wayne’s Automotive Center addresses different things but let us begin with the purpose of a differential.
How The Differential Service Works
Did you know that when you perform a turn the inside wheel and the outside wheel turn at different rates? This type of function makes sense when you think of a car race on an oval track. During a Nascar race, cars on the outside of the speedway have further to go than the cars on the inside. So what allows the wheels on the outside to rotate differently than the wheels on the inside? It’s the differential. Without the mechanism, the tires would squeal and skip when turning. If you were in the dirt and snow, you would lose much-needed traction without the differential. Another term for a differential is a gearbox. This term comes from the fact that inside the differential there are gears that help transfer energy from the drivetrain to the wheels. Whenever you are dealing with the type of power sent to the gearbox from the engine, you need to have strongly protected gears to function correctly.
Where Is The Differential Located?
You may associate a differential with trucks, but the truth is that all vehicles have some differential. On front wheel drive cars, the transaxle is the differential component transferring power. On a rear wheel drive car, the differential is in the back of the car instead of the front. If you have a four-wheel drive car or truck, then you have a differential in the front and back of the vehicle. And guess what, on a 4WD there is one in the middle of the car too. The center differential acts as it’s own differential to the front and back differentials. They all work together.
Wayne’s Automotive In Reno And Sparks Can Help With Your Car’s Differential
Fluids inside the differential perform a vital role in the health of the gearbox. Over time, the liquid inside can become dirty as the gears wear down. Parts of the metal grind off to cloud and degrade the differential. Fortunately, new fluids do a great job of protecting the gearbox from this type of wear and tear. So, like most fluids in your car, the manufacturer recommends certain intervals for changing this fluid. Check with your friendly advisors at Wayne’s Automotive Center for help about your recommended schedule.